Gravity operated gate latches are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 830,327, Johnston, issued Sept. 4, 1906, U.S. Pat. No. 890,660, Kent, issued June 16, 1908, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,821,847, Polaire, issued Sept. 1, 1931. These latch systems generally include a ring that is pivoted to frame on the gate post in a manner such that the ring can swing freely inward, but is restrained against outward movement. A latch bar on the gate forces the ring upward as the gate is closed, after which the ring drops down in front of the bar under the influence of gravity to trap the latch bar. A frame that pivotally mounts two rings can be used to enable the gate to swing open in the outward or the inward direction. In either case the latch is released by manually lifting a ring upward to disengage it from the latch bar.
Prior gate latches of the type described above are considered to have a number of shortcomings. For example, many of the prior systems are rather complicated structurally, and consequently would be expensive to manufacture and not cost-effective. Other systems, although simplified, have the disadvantage that should the gate sag so that the latch bar engages a lower point on the periphery of the keeper ring, the bar itself can lift the ring and cause the gate open if subjected to even a small open force due to wind or being bumped by an animal or the like. Of course, if gate sag is extensive (which often occurs with the passage of time) the bar may not engage the keeper ring at all, so that the latch system becomes useless.
The general object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved gravity-operated latch system of the type described.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved pivoted ring-type gate latch apparatus that includes a support that is located a predetermined distance below the pivot point of the ring to ensure operability of the latch, even where gate sag has occurred.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved gravity-operated latch system for gates and the like which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and is simple, reliable and fool-proof in operation.